Category Archives: book review

Never Goodnight

Book Review of Never Goodnight, by Coco Moodysson

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Never GoodnightI ordered a tester box from Landfall Freight Co. It’s a subscription box service focusing on graphic novels and comics for girls. I have daughters, after all.  Never Goodnight, by Coco Moodysson was included.

Description from Goodreads:
The cult Swedish graphic novel that inspired the critically acclaimed Lukas Moodysson film ‘We Are the Best!’

Coco, Klara and Mathilda have known each other since primary school, where they met in Folk Dancing class. Now they’re almost teenagers, and their anarchist ideals and dreams of forming a world-beating punk band set them apart from the other girls at school. They can’t play any instruments, practice with pillows and pans, and keep getting told that punk is dead. But they’re not going to let any of those things get in their way…

Published in English for the first time, Never Goodnight is a hilarious and life-affirming memoir that will remind you that all you need in life is your best friends, a can of hairspray and three guitar chords.

Review:
I don’t really know what to say on this. Someone else called it ugly-cute and I think that’s an apt description. It is undeniably cute, as children so often are. But It is also ugly. The drawing style is corse, the characters lumpy and lopsided with a tendency to be shown on the toilet or in other cringe-worthy positions. But it’s about three female, punk tweens in 1982 Sweden. Nothing about them is frilly or girly or pretty and it’s not supposed to be. In fact, this is a lot of what the book is about. They get significant pushback, that they don’t quite understand themselves, for breaking out of that acceptable, pretty, gender norm.

For about half the book I didn’t like it. I thought it was choppy and I didn’t see a theme emerging. By the end however, I was brought around. It ended on a happy note and I was smiling along with it. I guess I’ll have to go find the movie on Netflix now.

What I’m drinking: Something called Coffee Free. It’s a custom blend from Traveling Tea, a local tea shop. (Yes, Coffee Free is a tea. I assume intended as a possible coffee replacement.) The last time I was in the proprietor gave me a sample, so I know almost nothing about it beyond the name and that instructions say brew it at 195° for 3 minutes. But it’s very chocolaty in taste and I got two decent brews out of it.

No Tea. No Shade.

Book Review of No Tea. No Shade. by Billione

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No Tea. No Shade.I picked up a copy of Billione‘s No Tea. No Shade. from Amazon, when it was free.

Description from Goodreads:
Detroit poet Billione (pronounced bill-LEE-yon) ventures into new territory with his first novel entitled No Tea. No Shade. Inspired by the late E. Lynn Harris, Billione offers an insightful glimpse into the life of Chauncey King: a closeted, black, gay man nearing 40 who seems to stop at nothing to get what he wants. 

On the surface, this dapper, charismatic, successful Editor-in-chief of the Detroit Daily news seems to have it all. However, Chauncey goes from reporting the news to being the center of his own scandal after coming face-to-face with his turbulent past. His life seems to unravel until he meets Malcolm Dandridge at a local bathhouse and realizes that in order to be happy he must first face his biggest fear.

Review:
OK, I’m going to start with my hesitation to read this book, that being a debut author billing himself as well known enough to go by a single name and that name being more prominent than the title of the book. This being the origins of the term Big Name Author. Further, that name taking place of precedence in the book’s blurb, with its pronunciation coming before any other information about the book. It takes a lot of confidence put yourself out in the world this way, but experience makes me wary of such authors, as they often have more ego than skill.

I found that to be sadly true in this case. Now, let me be fair, the book is sweet. It has a nice theme about being true and open with yourself and the author obviously knows his character well. However, the writing is amateurish. Names and titles are used far too often in dialogue to feel natural. There are too few contractions, inconsistencies in POV and contradictions in the plot. The timeline of the flashbacks is uncertain. There is far too much tell and no where near enough show. The plot lurches along in a clunky manner, everything resolves itself far too easily (most off page even) and there is a frankly ridiculous epilogic lead-in to a sequel. It is not a smooth or satisfying read.

The author does show promise though. Perhaps when he has as much experience in writing prose as he does poetry he’ll be one to watch.

Book Review of The Rest Falls Away (The Gardella Vampire Hunters #1), by Colleen Gleason

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The Rest Falls AwayI downloaded a copy of Colleen Gleason‘s The Rest Falls Away from Amazon, when it was free.

Description from Goodreads:
Beneath the glitter of dazzling nineteenth century London Society lurks a bloodthirsty evil…

Vampires have always lived among them, quietly attacking unsuspecting debutantes and dandified lords as well as hackney drivers and Bond Street milliners. If not for the vampire slayers of the Gardella family, these immortal creatures would have long ago taken control of the world. 

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous moonlit streets, Victoria’s heart is torn between London’s most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her dark, dangerous duty. 

And when she comes face-to-face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make a choice between duty and love.

Review:
This was a bit of a mess, if I’m honest. The dialogue was quite stiff, in that forced historical sort of way. There were long vampire info-drops that never strayed from established vampire lore, so hardly felt necessary. New talents or vampire abilities popped up unexpectedly and seemingly at random. The vampires and their leader where little more than props, with no appearance of a brain between them and they were defeated with such ease that Victoria rarely even wrinkled her ball gown or mussed her coiffure. And this after becoming unbeatable after about a month of training. Victoria also had an irritating habit of making overly boastful comments before fights. There was a certain amount of humor and the situation with Victoria and her realization of having been selfish was thought provoking. Otherwise, I’d call this a failure for me.